Phone Calls
by Peonywinx
Summary: Phones are the most convenient and widely-used method of communication today. So it stands to reason that some of the most life-changing news or memorable experiences will be conveyed through a phone call, as Will Lennox finds out repeatedly.
1. Calling Home

_**A/N: Right, here's how this story is going to work. I will write and upload snippets of Lennox-centered TF moments, mostly constructed around a phone call. For those of you who read the original chapter of this story, I will re-upload it when I get to the proper chronological point, and after I've made some edits. **_

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from the Transformer's film franchise, and I will admit that I have taken several lines of dialogue directly from the movie, because I'm trying to make it all fit into the context of the films. **

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><p><em>1. Call to Home<em>

_Genre: Family_

_Word Count: 377  
><em>

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><p>Captain William Lennox was a trained, battle-hardened soldier. He'd served with distinction in the military for several years now. He'd seen many men fall on the battleground, never to return. He'd seen the fear in his wife's eyes whenever he was deployed. He'd struggled and fought with the best of men. He'd laughed and joked with the others in his unit. He'd done many things during his time with the army.<p>

Yes, Captain Lennox was a soldier. But deep down, in the very core of his being, he was more than that. He was a father. A father to a little girl he'd never held, a little girl at whose birth he hadn't been present, because he was off fighting for his country. But he was still a father, and like any father serving in the army, he was looking forward to his rest period so he could get back to his family.

But before that, he was looking forward to a webcam chat.

"My wife on?" he asked, ducking into one of the buildings at the U.S. SOCCENT airbase.

"Yes, Captain."

Eagerly, he looked at the laptop screen, and was delighted to see his wife smiling at him, a five-month-old baby girl nestled in her arms.

"My ladies!" he said expansively, grinning widely. On the screen, Sarah tried to attract Annabelle's attention to her daddy. Lennox felt a rush of warmth and love.

"Look at her; she's getting so big!" he cooed. Epps would probably make fun of him if he could hear him now, but Lennox didn't care.

"She has your laugh," Sarah told him.

"She laughed?" His baby girl, growing so fast!

"Her first one." Sarah was clearly just as proud.

Lennox couldn't resist asking, "You sure she didn't just fart?"

Sarah chuckled. "No, she's a lady." In her arms, baby Annabelle started fussing. "She doesn't know you yet, but she will."

"Oh, I'm sure she will. Hey, Annabelle," Lennox addressed his daughter. "Hey, hi there! Listen, Daddy's gonna come home soon, and then we'll get to know each other all we want, okay? Daddy loves you."

And Annabelle smiled despite herself. Lennox smiled too, confident in the fact that he would be home soon, with his wife and daughter, for four blissful weeks.

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><p><strong><em>AN: I know it's short, but I warn you here and now that the length of the chapters will vary widely, depending on the event I'm writing about. Thanks for reading!_**


	2. Call for Help

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Transformers franchise. I have taken some lines directly from the movie for the purpose of the story, but I don't own those, either.**

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><p><em>2. Call for Help<em>

_Genre: Action_

_Word Count: 709  
><em>

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><p>This was insane.<p>

No, scratch that – it was more than insane. He _should_ be home by now, catching up with Sarah, holding Annabelle. He should _not _be running for his life in some Arabian desert, shooting for all he was worth and yelling into a cell phone at an idiotic operator who was asking for his credit card number.

"I don't have a credit card! I'm in the middle of a war! This is frigging ridiculous!" Lennox made his way over to Epps. "Epps! Where's your wallet?"

Epps spared him a swift glance, and Lennox could tell his second thought he was crazy asking for a wallet in the middle of a battle. "Credit card," he grunted in reply to the unspoken question.

"Pocket," Epps rumbled, shooting at the giant mechanical animal bearing down on them.

Lennox glanced at his friend's pants and stared at the number of pockets that were sewn onto them. Who _had _this many pockets?

"Which pocket?" Lennox hissed.

"My back pocket!" Epps shouted, getting irritated.

"You've got ten back pockets!"

"Left cheek! Left cheek! Left cheek!"

Lennox felt in all the pockets at the aforementioned left cheek. "Come on, come on...yes!" He pulled out Epps' black leather wallet and flipped it open. Jackpot. There was the credit card. He pulled it out and turned his attention back to the operator, who was now, unbelievably, offering him a 'premium package'.

"I don't want a premium package!" Lennox bellowed. Good Lord, what did he have to do to get this man to _understand_? This was a life or death situation – not some sales pitch opportunity!

"All right, listen to me – listen to me!" Lennox commanded with enough force to shut the man up. "I'm a soldier, okay? I'm a soldier in the middle of a gunfight, and I need you to patch me through to the U.S. Pentagon _now_! Do you understand?"

The operator finally seemed to understand, and just about tangled his tongue trying to apologize.

"So sorry, sir, so sorry. I'll do it immediately, of course."

"Great," Lennox spat. "How about _now,_ then?"

"One moment, sir."

Grating his teeth, Lennox waited impatiently while the call was fed through the trans-Atlantic line. Finally, a distinctly American voice answered, "This is Washington."

"Epps! Pentagon!" Lennox called, pressing the phone into the African-American's hand.

"This is Sergeant Robert Epps of the Army Rangers," Epps reported, dodging gunfire. "We've got a seven-man team in a small village five klicks northeast of SOCCENT Qatar base. We survived the base attack, but we're under enemy fire. We need air support and we need it now. Roll in strike package Bravo on unknown target. I authenticate Tango Whiskey at time 0300 Zulu."

"Stand by," the person on the other end replied.

Epps launched a couple of smoke grenades, releasing a thick orange smoke. He spoke into the cell phone again. "Seven-man team north of orange smoke! Attack direction west! You're clear and hot!" He turned and yelled at Lennox, who was covering him. "Lennox! The heat's coming! Laze the target!"

Lennox plucked a green laser torch from his belt and aimed it at the thrashing robot.

"Spook Three Two, use 105 shells. Bring the rain."

The air force pilots did just that, firing the requested sabot rounds at the robot, which finally went down. Lennox breathed a sigh of relief. At least their weapons worked against these things, whatever they were.

"Where's Fig?" he asked. The other members of his unit looked around and saw their missing comrade lying injured on the ground.

"Oh, God!" Lennox cried, rushing to Fig. "Fig! Get a medic!" he said to Epps, who was still connected to Pentagon.

"We need a medevac," Epps duly reported. "One man down. Patient care category urgent."

"Look!" Janson said, pointing at the incoming chopper.

Lennox waved his arms to attract the chopper's attention. The chopper touched down and the men scrambled in, carefully carrying Fig in with them. As the medics started working on Fig, Lennox collapsed onto a seat, exhausted. It was a ten hour journey back to the States – that ought to be enough time to pull himself together.

And yet, there were still so many things to do.

Lennox sighed. He knew this wasn't over yet.


	3. Duty Calls

**Disclaimer: There's only one line of dialogue from the TF movie here, but I still don't own any of it.**

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><p><em>3. Duty Calls<em>

_Genre: Hurt/Comfort_

_Word Count: 553_

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><p>The phone rang, and Sarah Lennox all but flew to get to it. She was still waiting for news of what had happened in Qatar, of whether her husband had been found or was still missing, or if he was even still alive...<p>

Hands trembling, she answered with a shaky, "Hello?"

"_Sarah?"_

The dam broke.

"Oh, God! Will...Will, you're okay. You're okay." Sarah leaned against the counter, crying with relief. "When I heard about SOCCENT...Pentagon didn't know if anyone survived...oh, God, Will, I've been so worried."

"_I know, baby, I know,"_ Lennox's voice soothed over the phone. _"But I'm okay. We got into some serious trouble, but I promise you I'm okay. I'm on my way home."_

"Really?"

"_Really. I'll be seeing you soon."_

Sarah nodded, too happy to say anything. "I'll be waiting. And Annabelle, too."

"_Looking forward to it." _She could hear the smile in her husband's voice. _"I love you, baby."_

"I love you too." Sarah stayed on the phone until she heard the click of Will putting the receiver down, and then she collapsed into a chair.

Will was alive. He was alive and he was okay, and he was coming home. Feeling light and free for the first time since learning of the attack in Qatar, Sarah sent up a grateful prayer of thanks for keeping the man she loved safe. And when Annabelle woke up in the next room and started crying for her mother, Sarah easily walked the distance to pick her up, secure in the knowledge that she could assure her daughter Daddy was coming home.

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><p>Lennox's shoulders sagged as he put the phone away. It felt like weight had been lifted off him. Talking with Sarah for just those few minutes had been therapeutic; the horrors he had witnessed in the past thirty hours seemed to fade a bit more. He couldn't wait till he finally got home and got to kiss his wife, and hold his baby girl.<p>

"I'm telling you, man, that thing is alien," Epps said grumpily as he stormed into the passenger area. "Farragut can insist it's enemy tech all he wants, but it doesn't change the fact that it's _alien_. Did you _see_ that thing?"

Lennox frowned, recalling the scare in the cargo hold when the supposed-dormant appendage they'd retrieved from the robotic creature had come back to life. "I'm trying to forget it, Epps. I just wanna focus on getting home, and getting away from this nightmare. I just want to see my wife and daughter. That's it."

"I hear you," Epps concurred. "I want to see Jeanine too."

"Yeah, well," said Lennox, "Two more hours, and then we can hitch a plane back to Sacramento."

"Amen to that," Epps agreed.

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><p>"Captain Lennox, we need you and your team to come with us right now!"<p>

Lennox looked up, his heart sinking as he saw the soldier running to them. _What now?_

"We've got a Delta level situation on our hands. SecDef Keller wants you in Hoover Dam ASAP."

Next to him, Epps swore under his breath, and Lennox knew the sergeant was thinking along the same lines he was.

They were not going home yet.

"Let's go!" he called to his team.

He'd have to call Sarah again, inform her of the new development.

Well, damn.

Duty calls.


	4. Call of Friendship

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers or any of the characters.**

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><p><em>4. Call of Friendship<em>

_Genre: Friendship_

_Word Count: 897_

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><p>Lennox rubbed his weary face and leaned back against the wall with a sigh. He could not <em>believe <em>the day he'd had.

First of all, after surviving the Qatar attack and making it back to America alive, he'd been called to Hoover Dam by the Secretary of Defense himself. Then he'd found out that a covert U.S. government branch called Sector Seven had been storing a huge robotic alien in the dam for the past Lord-knows-how-many-years. And then he'd seen a _gigantic _Cube literally bring a cell phone to life and met another alien, who was one of the good ones (as well as the Witwicky kid's Camaro – Lennox sure hadn't seen that one coming). Then that alien (Bumblebee, he thought) had made the Cube transform into something much, much smaller using just his hands. And that was just the starter – the icing on the cake.

Because after all that, with not even a, "Sorry, Lennox, I know it's a lot to take in", from _anyone_, the bad aliens had attacked, freeing the aforementioned frozen robot that the kid called Megatron, but that the pompous, overly-opinionated agent from S7 – Simmons, he recalled – insisted was 'NBE-1'. Personally, Lennox didn't care either way – both were the same egomaniacal, psychotic alien robot that he wanted nothing to do with.

Anyway, Lennox had been duty-bound to protect the Cube and fight off the Decepticons, and he could safely say he had never, _ever_, fought such a battle in his life as the one he'd commandeered in Mission City.

And after all of _that_, he still had yet to secure a ride back to Sacramento to finally see his wife and daughter. You'd think the U.S. government would give him a _little_ help after he helped save the world – but no, they were too busy trying to hide the good alien robots (Autobots, he reminded himself) away from the public; and it was all paperwork and debriefing and confidentiality agreements.

So all things considered, Lennox was not in a very good mood.

"Go away, Epps," he mumbled as he heard footsteps. In his somewhat befuddled mood, he failed to notice that the footsteps were much heavier than Epps'.

"I am not your second-in-command," the black Autobot said, bending down to Lennox's level. Lennox looked up impassively, too numbed from the day's events to be nervous, trying to remember the large mech's name.

"You're Ironhide, aren't you?"

The big Autobot seemed to chuckle. "Correct."

"Hey, I'm sorry about your friend...Jazz," Lennox offered. He'd only found out the Autobots' names after the battle.

Ironhide sighed, the air rattling through his vents. "I appreciate your sentiments, Captain Lennox. He was a great friend of mine."

Lennox gazed at the battle-hardened mech, suddenly feeling connected to him. "You've been fighting for a long time, haven't you?"

Ironhide gave a humorless chuckle. "Yes. This civil war dates back to thousands of years before you were born."

_Thousands of...how old are these guys? _Lennox voiced his thought out loud.

"Hmm..." mused Ironhide, thinking. "I would say I am about nine thousand of your Earth years."

Lennox gulped involuntarily. "And the others?"

"Optimus is my age, and Ratchet is even older – about ten or eleven thousand. Bumblebee has yet to reach two thousand. By our standards, however, I would be around thirty-five years of age, as you humans count."

_Wow. _"So...that'd make you just a few years older than me, then," Lennox said cautiously.

Ironhide laughed. "Well, I suppose it does." He turned bright optics on the human captain. "I have heard that you are having difficulty returning to your home."

"That's an understatement," Lennox said sourly. "I've been trying to get home for three days. I would have been home yesterday morning, if not for all the ruckus the Decepticons caused."

"I'm sorry," Ironhide apologized. Lennox was surprised.

"Hey, it's not your fault. I'm pretty sure I'll get home by tomorrow, anyway. I just miss my family."

Ironhide appeared to be thinking deeply. "I had a family too," he said quietly.

"Had?"

"My wife and son were killed by Decepticons long before we left Cybertron."

Lennox gaped. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said awkwardly. Really, what was he supposed to say?

The Autobot weapons specialist shrugged. "Again, I appreciate the sentiment. You humans, I've noticed, have a great capacity for empathy."

Lennox honestly didn't know what to say to that.

Without warning, Ironhide stood up and transformed into his black Topkick alt mode. Lennox jumped backwards, startled. The Topkick's door opened.

"Get in," Ironhide's voice said from the car's speakers.

"What?" Lennox wasn't sure he could trust his ears.

"Get in," Ironhide said again. "I'll take you back to your home."

Lennox stared. "I appreciate the offer, but, aren't we going to be breaking all sorts of rules?"

An amused snort echoed from the speakers. "Captain Lennox, we have fought side by side against Decepticons and literally saved your planet from destruction. Rules and barriers have been broken down."

Lennox couldn't deny that. After fighting for one's life with one's fellow men – or, in this case, robots – one tended to take a lighter view of rules and regulations concerning team interaction. For the first time since the whole alien fiasco had begun, a real grin spread across Lennox's face.

"Thanks," he said as he clambered into the driver's seat of the Topkick.

Sarah was going to flip.

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><p><em><strong>AN: Not a phone call, I know, but I had to put this in. I've always been fascinated by Lennox and Ironhide's relationship, and how Ironhide ended up giving Lennox a ride back home.**_


	5. Roll Call

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers.**

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><p><em>5. Roll Call<em>

_Genre: Adventure (sort of)_

_Word Count: 1,522_

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><p>The red ball bounced up into the air and down onto Lennox's head, evicting an exclamation from him and a giggle from baby Annabelle.<p>

"You think that's funny?" Lennox made an indignant face as he bent to retrieve the ball.

"I don't know why she does, honestly," said Sarah. "It doesn't take much talent to drop a ball on your head."

"Hey!" Lennox protested. "It's not easy calculating the necessary trajectory for the ball to fall – plus, you need well-developed hand-eye coordination too."

"That's just a fancy way of saying you know exactly what you're doing." Sarah smiled.

Lennox winked at her and turned back to Annabelle. "Mommy doesn't know what she's talking about, does she? Nope – this is just between you and me, kay?"

Sarah chuckled and walked over to plant a kiss on her husband's lips. Lennox responded enthusiastically, and the kiss was just progressing to a full-out makeout session when the unmistakable trill of his cell phone rang in the next room. Lennox sighed in complaint when Sarah pulled away.

"I'll get it."

Lennox watched her go, then turned to Annabelle. "Where were we?" he asked, ball in hand.

"No, he's right here," he heard Sarah say as she came back in the room. Lennox was trying to understand the expression on her face when she handed him his phone. "It's Pentagon."

Lennox sighed. "Hello?"

"_Captain Lennox, we need you to report at Diego Garcia at 0900 in two days."_

Diego Garcia? The jointly-owned U.S.-British island that was home to one of the most prolific naval bases? Lennox immediately knew something big was up, but he said, "Look, sir, no offense, but I'm off duty for at least another two weeks."

_"I'm sorry, Captain – these orders come straight from Defense Secretary Keller." _Keller again. Lennox would bet his next month's salary that this involved the Autobots. _"In any event, Keller gives you his word that this will not take more than a day or two."_

"Is that so?" Lennox mentally remapped his schedule. Whether he liked it or not, he couldn't ignore a direct summons from the Secretary of Defense. "All right, I'll be there."

_"Secretary Keller will be expecting you. Pentagon out."_

"What is it?" Sarah asked.

"SecDef wants me at Diego Garcia on Wednesday," Lennox replied.

"Diego Garcia?" Sarah repeated, the question plain in her tone.

"I know," Lennox agreed. "It probably concerns the Autobots."

Sarah nodded and dropped the subject. "Speaking of which, when's the next time Ironhide is dropping by? Annabelle really loves it when he visits."

"If I see him at Diego Garcia, I'll ask."

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><p>When Lennox showed up at on the island at the appointed time, he wasn't surprised to see Ratchet, Ironhide, and Optimus Prime maintaining a presence outside the building. He <em>was<em> surprised, however, by the fact that they were making no attempt to hide, and were instead standing tall in their bipedal forms. He was also not expecting the absolute lack of personnel on the island. Besides the Autobots, the only people here were Defense Secretary Keller; Epps and all the other members of Lennox' unit (with the exception of Fig, who was still recovering); and a plumpish black man and a blonde-haired young woman standing off to the side a little way.

"Gentlemen, thank you for coming," Keller said, opening the – Lennox supposed it could be called a briefing. "I've called you here today to establish a new division of the U.S. military," Keller continued. "And I want you to be the leaders."

"Hold up," said Epps. "What new division?"

"It's called NEST," Keller explained. "Network Elements: Supporters and Transformers."

"Transformers?"

A deep, mechanical rumbling sounded from one of the Autobots, and Epps looked up at Ratchet. "He means you?" he asked in surprise.

"Your government coined the name for us," the Autobot medic explained. "They wanted something that would satisfactorily complete the acronym."

"Excuse me, sir – but what is NEST about, exactly?" Janson asked.

"I don't need to remind you that we are living in momentous times," said Keller. "The arrival of the Autobots and the Decepticon attacks have opened a completely new era for humankind. I've spent the last two weeks covering up Mission City and upgrading the military to defend against further Decepticon attacks, but I am fully aware that that will not stop them.

"This is where NEST comes in. Optimus Prime suggested that a coalition of humans and Autobots would be better equipped to handle any further Decepticons. He is willing to commit his team to this cause. You will share information concerning any and all Decepticon activity and work together to take them out."

Epps cast a critical eye over those gathered, assessing. "Three Autobots and a handful of army men aren't that imposing to something as powerful as a group of Decepticons. No offense," he added, glancing at Optimus.

"None taken," the Autobot leader assured him. "I understand your concern, Sergeant Epps, but what you see here is only the beginning. I have transmitted a message to other Autobots in the galaxy; they know where we are and will be making their way here. I expect a second unit to be here within eight months."

"And you will be in charge of recruiting other troops for NEST," Keller added. "Look at Special Ops and Black Ops for options, and make sure anyone you bring in is sworn to secrecy. NEST is highly classified and will operate in total secrecy. The majority of people in the United States, and the rest of the world, are not aware of the Transformers' existence."

Lennox shook his head and tried to take all this in. Two weeks ago he'd had no inkling that there was anything beyond Earth's atmosphere, and now here he was becoming an integral part of a new, top secret military branch with Cybertronians.

But if he was honest with himself, the idea was starting to grow on him. As Keller continued detailing NEST's infrastructure, Lennox thought about the friendship that he had formed with all the Autobots – most notably Ironhide. The black mech had since become his family's guardian, and Lennox's relationship with him had developed into something much like the bond he shared with his teammates, though it had been only two weeks since they met. Fighting to save the planet created a strong partnership.

And from what he had seen of the other Autobots, Lennox considered it an honor to be asked to work with them. They were a noble, majestic species with personalities that were much like humans'. He also had the sense that this was right, and this was what he was meant to do. Call it destiny or fate or something else corny, but he truly did feel that way.

"All right, if we're gonna do this, we'll need more than soldiers and Autobots," he spoke up. "We'll need analysts and computer experts to help us identify and locate remaining Decepticons, and we'll need an overall coordinator – someone to supervise and report to."

"Already taken care of," said Keller, pleased that Lennox was taking to the idea so well. He waved a hand at the black man and blonde woman. "This is Glen Whitman and Maggie Madsen. Maggie detected the hack in Pentagon's systems, and Glen cracked Cybertronian code."

"Hi," said Maggie, while Glen gave him a thumbs-up.

"They've agreed to be the head analysts for NEST, and will also be recruiting several other technicians to help," Keller went on. "You'll lead the entire operation, and you'll report to General Glenn Morshower of Special Ops. He's been briefed about the Transformers and the events in Mission City, but he hasn't actually seen the Autobots. We'd like to keep it that way for security reasons. You'll be the field commander, and Morshower will be your supervisor." Keller looked around at the small number of people, soon to grow, and smiled wryly. "I suppose you could call this a replacement for Sector Seven – only not as prejudiced, and operating on a much larger scale."

Lennox nodded. "For this to work, we'll need one more thing."

"What's that?" Epps asked. Lennox could see his second was just as excited about NEST as he was.

"A base of operations."

"You've got one." Keller smiled as if enjoying some private joke. "Why do you think I asked you to meet me here?"

Lennox's jaw dropped as he understood what Keller was saying. He stared at his surroundings, which suddenly took on a whole new meaning for him. Epps whistled.

"No way, man. You mean Diego Garcia is our base?"

"Arrangements have been made with the British government to use it as such, yes," Keller replied. "NEST is not just restricted to the United States. You'll operate internationally, with soldiers from all areas of the world, though the main manpower will be supplied by Britain and America. The world's governments have been notified and have signed confidentiality agreements. In this matter, the planet is united; every effort will be made to aid NEST in its operations and to conceal the Transformers from the general public. So, gentlemen," he finished, "welcome to the future."

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><p><em><strong>AN: Wow, that's the longest chapter yet! Thanks to my reviewers **chloexo, Hadrianna, **and **FlowerCrazy, **and thanks to everyone who has put this on favourites or alerts.**_


	6. Answered Call

**Disclaimer: Again, I do not own the Autobots or anyone else in NEST, including Lennox and Epps.  
><strong>

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><p><em>6. Answered Call<em>

_Genre: Friendship_

_Word Count: 784_

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><p>"Hey, Lennox – Big Man wants us at the loading bay ASAP," Epps informed him.<p>

Lennox looked up from where he was briefing a group of NEST newcomers. "I'll be right there." He glanced back at the new recruits. "Wait here; I'll be right back. Janson will take over your briefing until then."

Janson nodded and picked up where Lennox left off while Lennox himself walked over to Epps.

"What's up?"

Epps shrugged. "Hell if I know. Optimus just sent a message to me on my phone telling me to meet him there. I'm surprised he didn't send one to you."

Lennox pulled his phone out of his pocket to check. "Yes, he did. I guess I didn't hear it 'cause I was drilling the new recruits."

"It's always the same questions, man." Epps shook his head and proceeded to imitate every batch of new soldiers who had come into NEST. "'We'll be working with alien robots?'; 'What are they like?'; 'What _really _happened in Mission City?'"

Lennox chuckled as they entered the loading bay, and then stared as he was greeted by many more Autobots than he was used to.

Optimus Prime turned and said, "Captain Lennox, Sergeant Epps, I'd like you to meet our new companions. They arrived this morning."

Lennox studied the newcomers. There was a large black mech who was shorter than Ironhide; two Autobots even smaller than Bumblebee, both a dingy pink-and-white color; and three shiny monopedal bots that seemed to exude femininity.

"Yo!" greeted one of the small pink-and-white robots. "You got any high grade around here? Busting through a planet's atmosphere ain't no easy thing to do."

Ironhide growled warningly while Optimus sighed.

"Mudflap, I've warned you about high grade. You and Skids are barely Younglings; and in any event we do not have high grade here."

"That sucks, man," the other pink-and-white complained – Lennox assumed he was Skids, but he was far too shocked at hearing them address Optimus like that to pay much attention.

"You'll have to excuse the twins." The black newcomer grinned. "They haven't learned class yet."

"The warning applies to you too, Sideswipe," Ratchet growled. "If and when Sunstreaker gets here, you'd _better_ not contemplate causing _any_ trouble, or I'll have your aft on a platter, understood?"

Optimus sighed again. "Lennox, Epps; this is Sideswipe, one of the most skilled frontliners among Autobot ranks. He and his twin Sunstreaker were trained by Ironhide."

Lennox glanced up at Ironhide, who was nonchalantly playing with his cannons in front of Skids and Mudflap.

"Skids and Mudflap are twins. They were under Sideswipe's care when they fled Cybertron," Optimus continued. "They are only Younglings, and have not yet achieved their adult frames, but they have received warrior training and can help us in certain operations."

Lennox nodded.

"These three bots here are Arcee." Optimus gestured to the three monopedals.

"Greetings," the three units said simultaneously, in a voice that was unmistakably female.

"She's unique in the sense that her consciousness is contained in three units," Ratchet informed the two startled humans. "Arcee upgraded to the multi-form before the war."

"So she's actually one Autobot?" Epps asked.

"Not entirely," Optimus replied. "Arcee's units can operate separately, but she consciously controls all of them. It is difficult for me to explain when you have no knowledge of the technology involved."

"No problem; I think I've got the idea," said Lennox. "So who's Sunstreaker?"

Sideswipe smiled. "_My _twin. He's with Prowl somewhere in the galaxy, and it'll take him several years to get here."

"Prowl?" Epps inquired.

"My second-in-command," Optimus explained.

"I thought that was Jazz."

"Jazz was my third-in-command, but he acted as my second here on Earth."

"Oh." Epps wisely let the matter drop. Lennox shook his head. Despite the almost-eight months that had passed since the battle in Mission City, he knew Optimus still grieved for his lost comrade, though the Autobot leader had accepted it calmly. Lennox got the feeling that somehow, Optimus blamed himself for every death among his ranks. Ironhide had confirmed this once, but assured the human commander that Optimus knew how to deal with grief nonetheless.

"So, this is it?" Epps asked. "I mean, these are all the Autobots you were expecting?"

"For now, yes," answered Optimus. "The others are all several light years away; the closest contingent will only arrive in two years. But we have enough Autobots to begin NEST missions."

"Decepticon hunting." Sideswipe smirked, a feral look shifting his facial plates. "My favorite past time."

"Hear, hear," agreed Skids and Mudflap. Arcee rolled her three pairs of optics.

Lennox smiled at the newcomers' obvious eagerness to eliminate the Decepticon threat. This was the start of a true partnership.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Again, not quite a phone call, but who says they all have to be? Many thanks to **AnimeFanBree, FlowerCrazy, Mytical-Mist-Devil, SkyHighFan, chloexo, **and **Anonymouse **for reviewing! Oh, **Mytical-Mist-Devil, **I know Morshower's on the Joint Chiefs and a chairman, but he's also a general, and I figure he had to start somewhere.**_

**_Till next time!_**


	7. Mission Call

**Disclaimer: I do not own NEST or the Autobots or anything else in Transformers.**

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><p><em>7. Mission Call<em>

_Genre: Action_

_Word Count: 969_

* * *

><p>Lennox slid into the Ops Booth, careful to avoid the many computers that were crammed into the room.<p>

"I got your text. What's up?" He directed his question at Maggie; Glen was too busy feverishly hacking a steady stream of Cybertronian symbols on the monitor to answer.

"We've detected energon signatures in Hapur," Maggie reported, barely sparing him a glance as she typed away at her own keyboard.

"Where's that?"

"Just outside New Delhi," Maggie clarified.

"India?" Lennox questioned.

"Yep," Maggie confirmed. "This thing's sending out _streams_ of signals, like it's preparing for something big. We're trying to track it through the transmissions and satellite feeds, but it might take time. Hopefully we'll be able to tell you exactly where it is by the time you reach Hapur."

"Got it. Keep me posted." Lennox was out of the room faster than Maggie could discern, his cell phone already in hand. "Epps, gather the team. We've got a Cybertronian in India. Notify Optimus."

"_Roger that. Squads 5 – 8, then?"_

Lennox answered in the affirmative and terminated the link, moving quickly to the hangar, where NEST maintained a fleet of F-22 Raptors, carrier planes, and several choppers. There was also a full complement of tactical equipment ready for quick access whenever a situation just like this came up.

Since NEST had begun tactical missions over two months ago, they had dealt mostly with small scale incidents in or around North America. It seemed the Decepticons were laying low after Mission City. After almost a year, though, the 'Cons were coming out of hiding. This mission would be their first off-continent, and Lennox felt a strange sense of anticipation. It was time to see whether NEST could pass the test.

Within five minutes, all the required NEST members were assembled and geared up. Months of training drills had reduced their mission preparation time to under two minutes. Optimus was also there, along with Ironhide and Sideswipe. Arcee was already in vehicular form and loaded onto a plane, ready to serve as backup. Ratchet was staying behind with the twins.

Thanks to Autobot technology that Optimus had agreed to share with NEST for mission purposes, the flight to Hapur took only forty-five minutes, just a little over the span of Lennox's briefing. The newly promoted major turned on his comm. link to Diego Garcia.

"Maggie, Glen, what d'you have for me?"

_The thing's definitely 'Con – it's got bad alien markings all over it," _Glen's voice answered. _"It's moving in the north side of the city, and it's wreaking _havoc. _You'd better get there fast."_

"Copy that." Lennox turned to his team. "All right, we've got Decepticon activity in the northern district. Epps, approach from the west with Optimus and Sideswipe and close in. Ironhide and I'll come from the north. Harris, you and your men maintain a perimeter around the area. The Indian government's already evacuated the district, but you need to keep a lookout anyway. And be ready to release Arcee if we need her. You all got that?"

"Sir, yes, sir."

"Then let's go."

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, Lennox could safely say that this mission was without a doubt the proving ground for NEST. The silver, whip-like Decepticon was nowhere near the size of even Bumblebee, but what it lacked in physique, it made up for in speed. Lennox had never <em>seen <em>a Cybertronian move so blinking fast. It was agile, too, weaving in and out of NEST ranks with nary a struggle, avoiding each and every trap they set for it and escaping even Optimus' and Ironhide's superb aim. Moreover, its slender, spiked, tail-like appendage flicked and lashed everywhere, causing enormous amounts of damage that were so out of proportion to its slight frame that Lennox couldn't believe what he was seeing. How could one small Decepticon cause so much damage without getting so much as a scratch from any NEST operative?

"Lennox, perhaps it would be wise to deploy Arcee," Ironhide suggested, shooting – and failing to hit – once more at the moving 'Con. "She is smaller than we are and can maneuver better in tight spaces."

Lennox nodded and barked an order to Harris' squad, and a minute later Arcee's three units came skidding onto the scene. The pink bot coolly observed the situation while the purple and blue units moved to flank the Decepticon. The Decepticon tried to shake them off, but the Arcees had perfect control; they turned and accelerated with it, keeping it pinned but not attacking.

"Epps, fire up the sabot rounds at two o' clock on my signal," Lennox commanded as Sideswipe and pink Arcee rolled in to the front and back of the Decepticon, boxing it up in a prison that coordinated with its every movement.

Epps hefted a large gun carried here in Optimus' trailer, ready to fire whenever Lennox said so.

"Now!" Lennox yelled. Epps squeezed hard on the trigger, shooting a large, hot sabot round at the group of Cybertronians. The Autobots broke away just before the round hit the Decepticon. Before the smoke even cleared, Optimus and Ironhide moved in to finish the injured 'Con.

And then it was over.

The NEST members cheered as Ironhide unceremoniously collected the remnants of the dead Decepticon and dumped them all in a scrap pile on the plane.

Lennox smiled, his relief tempered by the sobering thought of the number of soldiers they had lost. Then he sighed. Whether it was the Army Rangers or NEST, casualties were an inevitable part of life.

Still, this mission had proved beyond a doubt that NEST, despite loss of members, was here to stay. Lennox took satisfaction in that fact.

And deep down, he figured he'd been waiting for this particular mission to cement his new role as a human ally of his new Cybertronian friends.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: And we're back to phone calls. I liked writing this chapter, because I got to elaborate more on what I thought NEST did, which is something they didn't have enough of in the movies. Thanks to **chloexo **for reviewing. Yes, **chloe, **I will definitely post a chapter about the phone call informing Lennox about Optimus' death in RotF - in fact, it's already written. It was the original chapter of this story, but it's been taken down until I reach the proper chronological point. Just be patient, kay?**_


	8. Calling to Debrief

**Disclaimer: You know the drill - I don't own anything, especially not the movie dialogue I've incorporated.**

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><p><em>1. Calling to Debrief<em>

_Genre: Suspense_

_Word Count: 887_

* * *

><p>"Secure link to JCS is now open, Major," the technician reported.<p>

Lennox nodded and relayed the information to Director Galloway, whom he was showing around Diego Garcia. Personally, he didn't care two whits for the man, but by presidential order Galloway was now NEST's liaison, something Lennox thought did not bode well.

"General?"

"_Will, I saw the Shanghai op,"_ said General Morshower on the screen. _"We had a rough day out there."_

"Yes, sir," Lennox concurred. They had lost more men on that op than the past three missions combined. "We have intel that I believe warrants an immediate debrief. Now, with your permission, I can't let you see him, but I would like you to hear from the leader of the Autobots."

At Morshower's agreement, the blue-and-red flamed semi in the hangar transformed quickly into the thirty-foot frame of Optimus Prime. Lennox noted, with some satisfaction, that Galloway was staring open-mouthed. Epps, who disliked Galloway even more than Lennox did, noticed too.

"General, our alliance has countermanded six Decepticon incursions this year, each on a different continent," Optimus said. "They're clearly searching around the world for something, but last night's encounter came with a warning. 'The Fallen shall rise again'."

"'_The Fallen'," _Morshower repeated. _"Meaning what?"_

"Origin unknown," replied Optmus. "The only recorded history of our race was contained within the AllSpark, and lost with its destruction."

Lennox shuddered. He didn't know what the Fallen was, either, but he had been there when the Decepticon in Shanghai delivered the warning. The way the 'Con had said it – warningly, with conviction – sent chills up his spine and left him with a deep sense of foreboding.

"Excuse me!" Galloway interrupted, and Lennox groaned. This definitely would not end well. "With this so-called AllSpark now destroyed, why hasn't the enemy left the planet like you thought they would?"

Epps stared, unable to believe that even Galloway dared to interrupt a conversation between Optimus Prime and General Morshower. Optimus himself, however, merely looked to Lennox for identification.

"Director Galloway, our National Security Advisor. The President just appointed him liaison," Lennox explained.

"Well, I guess I didn't get that memo." Epps sounded grumpy and annoyed. To tell the truth, Lennox was getting annoyed himself, and his annoyance only increased as he listened to Galloway argue with Optimus.

"Now, under the classified Alien/Autobot Cooperation Act, you agreed to share your intel with us, but not your advancements in weaponry."

Lennox couldn't believe Galloway was bringing that up _now. _The treaty had been signed and agreed upon almost two years ago. Optimus didn't miss a beat, though.

"We have witnessed your human capacity for war," the Autobot leader bluntly told Galloway. "It would absolutely bring more harm than good."

Galloway wouldn't give up, though. "But who are you to judge what's best for us?"

At this point, Lennox interjected, "With all due respect, we've been fighting side by side in the field for two years." And he'd never had a problem with the Autobots in all that time.

"We've shed blood, sweat, and precious metal together," Epps added, standing beside Optimus' enormous foot.

"Soldier, you're paid to shoot, not talk," Galloways said rudely.

Epps threw him a dark look. "Don't tempt me," he muttered.

"Easy," Optimus advised quietly, while Galloway continued to rant.

_"In my experience, the judgment of both Major Lennox and his team has always been above reproach,"_ Morshower defended NEST.

"Be that as it may, General, it is the position of the President that when our national security is at stake, no one is above reproach. Now, what do we know so far?" And Galloway proceeded to recount and eliminate all possible reasons for the continued Decepticon presence on Earth, including Megatron, the AllSpark, and the Decepticons' inability to get to either.

"...and since no one can seem to tell me what the enemy is now after...well, there's only one clear conclusion!" Galloway concluded accusingly. Lennox stiffened. He knew what was coming next, and he didn't like it one bit. "You! The Autobots. They're here to hunt you."

A low rumbling, unnoticed by Galloway, sounded from the black Topkick nearby. Lennox knew Ironhide well enough to understand that the weapons specialist was pissed off; but unfortunately he wasn't close enough to pat him on the hood, so Lennox settled on giving him a sympathetic glance which he knew Ironhide would understand. The black Autobot had, after all, been his family's guardian for almost two years. Lennox was closer to him than any other Autobot.

"So, let me ask," said Galloway, "If we ultimately conclude that our national security is best served by denying you further asylum on our planet..." He looked straight up at Optimus' optics. "...will you leave peacefully?"

"Tell me he did not just say that," said Epps. Lennox shot him a warning look. They couldn't interfere.

"Freedom is your right," Optimus said calmly. "If you make that request, we will honor it."

Galloway nodded, and began to step off the platform, but Optimus wasn't finished.

"But," the Autobot added, bending down to look Galloway in the eye, "before your President decides, please ask him this: What if we leave..." His optics turned even more serious than usual. "...and you're wrong?"

Pleased by Optimus' well-placed query, Lennox added, "That's a good question," before he trooped off the platform.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Thank you to my reviewers **chloexo **and **SkyHighFan**. **chloexo**: I know, right? That's why I decided to include her. I quite like Maggie, and I find it difficult to believe that the government would just forget about her and Glen after what they did. **SkyHighFan: **Yes, I've got a chapter on that too. Stay tuned!**_


	9. Calling with Bad News

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers.**

* * *

><p><em>9. Calling with Bad News<em>

_Genre: Suspense_

_Word Count: 455  
><em>

* * *

><p>"What do you <em>mean<em>, the shard was stolen?" Lennox demanded into his phone. "We've got the best security systems in the world guarding that thing – plus Cybertronian influences on the containment tech. How could someone possibly have broken in?"

_"I'm afraid we don't know, sir," _the person on the other line said apologetically. _"We detected a security breach earlier, but we couldn't get a visual on anything unusual. Next thing we knew, a 'Con was attacking the base, and by the time we got around to checking on it, the shard was gone."_

Lennox pinched the bridge of his nose. "Acknowledged. I'll notify JCS. Lennox out." A frown creasing his face, Lennox stowed his phone away, only to have to fish it out of his pocket again when it rang once more.

"What _now_?" he groaned when he saw the caller ID – it was Admiral Russo, the officer in charge of the fleet guarding the Laurentian Abyss. "This is Lennox."

_"Major Lennox, NBE-1 has escaped."_

Lennox resisted the urge to swear. "Megatron is dead, Russo; he couldn't have –"

_"He's back, Major. Three hours ago five NBE's dove into the trench and resurrected him somehow. He trashed the fleet on his way up."_

Lennox's mind seemed to go into overdrive as he put two and two together. The Decepticons must have used the stolen shard to revive their leader, but how they'd managed to transfer it from the naval base at San Antonio* to the Laurentian Abyss so quickly was beyond him. But it couldn't be a coincidence that this had happened a mere two days after they received the warning in Shanghai. The major sighed in frustration.

"Did you see where he went?"

_"Negative. He totaled the navigation and tracking systems."_

"Understood, Admiral." Lennox terminated the call grimly, but hesitated before putting it back in his pocket. Good thing he did, because, unbelievably, his phone rang a third time, which to Lennox signaled even _more _bad news.

_"Will, Optimus is gone," _Epps' excited voice informed him.

"_What_?" Lennox bellowed.

_"He said Sam was in danger, and he's gone to protect him. The other Autobots are en route."_

"He's _alone_?" Lennox exclaimed. Not good. Not good at all. With Megatron on the loose...

_"Not for long," _Epps assured him. _"Ratchet, Ironhide, and the twins are all on their way."_

"Arcee and Sideswipe?" Lennox questioned.

_"They've gone to track the 'Cons."_

Lennox thought fast. "Okay, Epps, I need you to gather a team and meet me at Chopper 1. We're moving out now."

_"We expecting trouble?" _Epps' tone made it clear he already knew what Lennox's answer was going to be, but he needed confirmation.

"Yeah." That was an understatement. NEST was in serious shit.

Again.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Next up is the chapter when Lennox finds out about Optimus' death, so don't go away! Thanks to **chloexo **and **Kaprikorn** for - what else? - reviewing! Yes, **chloe, **I've watched the third movie. It was good, but I think it's my least favorite of the three, because (SPOILER ALERT) - No 1: they replaced ass-kicking Mikaela with wimpish Carly; No 2: They killed Ironhide D:; and No 3: 'Twas too apocalyptic for my taste.  
><strong>_


	10. Call of Death

**Disclaimer: There's a lot of dialogue in here that I took directly from the movie, but I want to make it very clear that I don't own it.**

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><p><em>10. Call of Death<em>

_Genre: Tragedy_

_Word Count: 1,152_

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><p>The bleeping sound that signaled a call struck an emotional string of anxiety in Lennox, who hesitated before answering. It was just a phone call, after all.<p>

He pressed the receive button on the screen and lifted the headphones over his ears.

"This is Lennox."

Just a phone call. But it was the one single call that changed him more than any of the other life-altering phone calls he'd received lately.

_"Lennox, Optimus is dead," _Ironhide's sorrowful voice informed him._  
><em>

Lennox sat rigidly, unable to believe what he was hearing. Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, dead?

"What?" he demanded. "How?"

_"Megatron," _was the mech's simple answer.

Pure anger bubbled inside Lennox. It figured the devious Decepticon leader would take advantage of the fact that Optimus had no backup. Then he remembered why Optimus had taken off alone.

"What about Sam?" he asked.

_"Bumblebee's taken him away. Skids and Mudflap followed."_

At least the boy was safe. At least Optimus hadn't died in vain.

"I'm so sorry, 'Hide," Lennox said feelingly.

_"As am I." _Ironhide's voice was grave. _"More than you know."_

* * *

><p>Lennox was sure he'd never seen a sadder sight. The remaining Autobots moved despondently onto the New Jersey airstrip as the helicopter dropped Optimus' body onto the pavement. Lennox cringed as if he had been struck a physical blow as the Prime's metal frame bounced once, then lay still. The picture was all wrong.<p>

Optimus Prime, once such a majestic, stately being, was now merely a bundle of lifeless, broken metal.

It was too painful to see. Lennox had to choke back a strangled sob. After two years of fighting alongside each other and forging bonds of trust, friendship, and camaraderie, the leader of the Autobots had finally made the ultimate sacrifice for the cause they strove for. At this moment, all Lennox wanted was to lock himself in a room with Ironhide and grieve for their lost friend.

Optimus' mechanical body was plainly very badly damaged. His armor was broken and dented; some of the more fragile pieces had shattered completely. There was an enormous gash in his chest cavity where Megatron had brutally cut the life from him. Lennox averted his eyes from that area. But it was the dead Prime's optics that were the worst blow. Once so piercingly, electrically blue, sparkling with life and emotion, they were now dull and dim. The light was gone.

Lennox felt as if his knees would not hold him, but he somehow managed to stay upright. And somehow, he found the strength to voice his last hope.

"Can we revive him?" After all, the Decepticons had done it with Megatron.

His hope was crushed the next moment, however, when Ratchet sorrowfully shook his head.

"It is not possible. We do not have the shard; and in any case, Optimus' spark was torn in two. It would take the entire Cube to fuse it back together, if it were possible at all."

Lennox heard more pain and grief in that voice than he could bear to handle. The Autobots were clearly demoralized. The death of their beloved leader was a huge blow to them. With the last Prime dead, hope seemed all but nonexistent.

And adding insult to injury was the U.S. Army convoy that was aiming their weapons at the group of Autobots, who were understandably threatened.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Ratchet.

"You dare point a gun at me?" Ironhide demanded, aiming his own cannons. "You want a piece of me? I will tear you apart!"

Lennox decided to intervene before things got ugly. "Drop your weapons! Drop your weapons!" He turned the commander. "Tell them to drop their weapons."

"Tell them first," the officer replied, pointing at the Autobots.

"Tell them to lower their weapons!" Lennox insisted.

"Major, there's nothing I can do. Talk to him."

Lennox turned to see Galloway strutting onto the airstrip, informing him that the Autobots had been ordered to leave Earth and NEST was decommissioned.

"No, we take our orders directly from Chairman Morshower, sir," said Lennox, standing firm. If this jackass thought he could just march here and take control after what he'd said...

In answer, Galloway shoved a form in his face. Lennox stared at the signature while Galloway said, "Well, I'll see your Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and I will raise you a President of the United States! I have operational command now." He turned to the Autobots and delivered a scathing speech that clearly placed the blame squarely on their shoulders. "This is our war now, and we will win it as we always have," he finished. "With a coordinated military strategy."

"This fool is terribly misinformed," Ratchet said disdainfully.

"You're gonna need every asset you've got," Lennox told him.

"What we need is to draw up battle plans while we explore every possible diplomatic solutions."

"Like what, handing over the kid?" Lennox demanded angrily, his temper rising. Optimus had died to save Sam, and here was Galloway implying that Sam would be sentenced to death anyway.

The liaison barely missed a beat. "All options are being considered."

"If you think I'm gonna -"

"There's no negotiating with him," Epps said, trying to stop Lennox from doing something rash.

"I'm ordering you to stand down!" Galloway demanded.

A small scuffle broke out then, ending only when Galloway stripped Lennox's silver acorns from his uniform, bellowing, "You won't be needing this anymore. Get your _assets_ back to base!" He cast a derisive glance at Optimus' body. "And take that pile of scrap metal back to Diego Garcia."

The Autobots stiffened at the insult to their leader. Their human comrades weren't far behind. Lennox, especially, was incensed that Galloway dared say such a thing about Optimus Prime.

"I really don't like that dude," Epps spoke up from beside him as Galloway marched back inside. "He's an asshole."

Lennox agreed wholeheartedly with that.

"Ironhide, we should leave this planet," said Ratchet. With Optimus gone, Ironhide was apparently now the leader.

"That's not what Optimus would want."

Lennox had never heard such sorrow in the voice of the toughened, militaristic mech who was his family's guardian – nor such truth. Truly, Optimus would not want to leave Earth and the humans to the mercies of the Decepticons. He would have wanted to stay to defend them, despite all the crap the U.S. government gave him. Sometimes Lennox wondered if they were really worth such self-sacrificing protection from the noble Autobots.

"But if the human government has ordered us to leave, Optimus would oblige," Ironhide continued.

Lennox looked down at the presidential order in his hand and sighed. It seemed the choice was being made for the Autobots. But he wouldn't let them go without a fight.

"We can try to stall," he offered.

"What good will that do?" Ratchet asked.

"Maybe none," Epps said. "But it's better than nothing."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: I'm pretty sure you guys can guess what's next. Thanks to **_chloexo, codythedude, **and **Kaprilorn **for reviewing, and thanks to everyone who favorited or put this fic on alerts. **_cody, **thanks for pointing it out; I've fixed that error.**_


	11. Hope Calls

**Disclaimer: Again, there are several chunks of movie dialogue below, but _I don't own it._**

* * *

><p><strong><strong>_11. Hope Calls_

_Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Action_

_Word Count: 1,578_

* * *

><p>The effort to stall didn't work. It bought them a few hours, but eventually Galloway forcefully ordered them all to get ready to leave for Diego Garcia at 2100 hours, and there was nothing anyone at NEST could do. But Ironhide did conveniently forget to recall Bumblebee, Skids, and Mudflap.<p>

Still, it didn't seem like that purposeful oversight would accomplish much. Lennox had to forcibly restrain himself from lashing out at the smug-looking Galloway and shaking him until all his teeth were loose as he watched the Autobots prepping to leave. Ratchet, Jolt, Sideswipe, Arcee...Lennox deflated as he watched all of them fold into their vehicular forms to prepare for transport. He went up to Ironhide, who was the only one who had yet to transform, and placed a hand on the big robot's leg.

"I'm sorry about this, 'Hide."

"It is not your fault. You have done what you can." Ironhide half-smiled at his charge. "It has been an honor serving with you, William Lennox."

Lennox nodded and placed his fingers against his forehead in a silent salute, not trusting himself to speak for fear that the stew of conflicting emotions bubbling inside him might spill over.

Ironhide transformed into his Topkick alt mode and drove out with the other Autobots onto the airstrip, where a carrier plane was waiting to take them back to Diego Garcia. Lennox followed forlornly, still too numb to wonder what would happen to NEST.

"So, we're shipping them back to base." Epps crossed his arms, his dark eyes unreadable. "This is such a mistake."

An officer came out into the darkening twilight, calling, "Major Lennox, phone call!"

Lennox sighed, and turned back, taking the proffered cell phone. He couldn't help being reminded of the last time he'd taken a call.

"This is Lennox."

"_Lennox, it's Simmons."_ Lennox recognized that name. Simmons? That ex-Sector Seven agent who had tried to freeze Bumblebee in cryo?

"_I'm with the kid – the kid,"_ Simmons continued. _"You know, the one with the attitude, right?"_ Oh, he must mean Sam.

Wait. What was Simmons doing with Sam? And where was Bumblebee and the twins? Were they with him, too?

"_Listen, we need the truck. The _truck_." _What was with the repeat nouns? It was almost like Simmons was trying to...pass a message?_ "We've got a possible _resurrection_ going on here."_

Lennox did a double take. Did that mean what he thought it did? Hope began to rise inside him.

"_You're not gonna believe where we are right now. Code Tut, as in King Tutankhamen. Back of a one-dollar bill. Coordinates for air drop: 29.5 north, 34.88 east. Write it down. Write it."_

Lennox scrambled for pen and paper, then went to find someone to look up the coordinates for him, pausing only to motion for Epps to join him. He had an answer within a few minutes.

"Tip of the Red Sea. Aqaba," the soldier told him.

"Egypt?" Epps gave Lennox a look. "Are you serious?" He glanced at where Optimus' body was being loaded into the plane and lowered his voice to a whisper, even though the soldier had already gone back in. "Even if we could figure out a way to get Big Man over there, how is this little kid supposed to bring him back to life?"

"Look, I don't know," Lennox admitted. "But we've gotta trust him."

Epps didn't look convinced, but Lennox saw hope light up his dark brown eyes anyway, just as it had in his.

* * *

><p>It was surprisingly easy to stage an engine malfunction. Of course, it helped that Galloway didn't know nuts about planes and that the pilots were NEST and thus only too easy to convince. Lennox found great satisfaction in Galloway's panic.<p>

"Bailout? Bailout? Bailout? _Bailout?_" If he got any more frightened, he'd wet his pants. Lennox forced himself to act his part convincingly.

"All right, team, grab your chutes!"

Galloway was still sputtering. "Bailout, like _bailout?_"

Lennox turned to take care of him, plastering a fake look of concern on his face. "Are you familiar with the standard MC-4?"

"Of course not! I've never jumped out of a perfectly good airplane before!" Galloway's eyes were wild, his face betraying pure terror. Lennox had to stifle a laugh. "Wait a minute – is this really happening?"

"Yeah." Lennox began strapping the parachute to Galloway's body.

"Wait a minute –wait a minute. You're behind this, aren't you?" The liaison's tone was accusing, but Lennox played it cool.

"What are you talking about? You heard the pilot. These guys don't mess around. This is just standard procedure; I'm just following orders to the letter. Isn't that what you said?" He tightened the final strap, pulling a bit harder than was absolutely necessary.

"You just signed the death warrant on your career, Major."

A noise overhead accompanied by a bump had Galloway freaking out again. "What was that?"

"Oh, that's not good," said Lennox, enjoying himself immensely. "Come on." He pushed Galloway to the doors and began instructing him on the regulations of jumping out of a plane, making sure to talk very quickly and make things sound as complicated as he could without going overboard.

"Red's your backup, blue's your primary," he finished. "I need you to pull the blue. I need you to pull it really hard."

Galloway did just that, releasing his chute, exactly as Lennox had intended.

"Not right now – we're on the plane, you dumbass!" Lennox scolded, taking great pleasure in calling Galloway that.

Before Galloway had a chance to protest, his inflated chute whipped him out of the plane, into the air. Chuckling, Lennox made his way back to his team, who were already unfastening their chutes.

"Did he say goodbye?" Epps asked with a wicked gleam in his eye.

"Nah, he didn't say goodbye."

"What, may I ask, is the purpose of all this?" Ironhide's voice sounded from the Topkick's speakers. The tone was completely neutral, but Lennox could tell the black Autbot had enjoyed Galloway's dismissal as much as everyone else.

"We're taking a little detour," Lennox informed him. "We're going to Egypt."

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Lennox wondered what he could possibly have been thinking, diverting the entire quadrant to Egypt and getting them right into the middle of some serious Decepticon shit. This was just like Qatar, only multiplied to be about ten times worse. Where the hell was that boy?<p>

"Two civilians, two o' clock!"

_Oh, thank God! _Lennox thought, as he raced out to bring Sam and Mikaela to safety.

"You'd better have a good reason for bringing us here," he said as soon as they'd ducked behind a wall with Epps.

"Where's Optimus?" Sam asked urgently.

Lennox pointed with his gun at the cloth concealing the Autobot leader. "He's right over there, across the courtyard."

"I have to get to him right now."

Lennox shook his head. "Not with an air strike coming."

Sam held up a small, grubby cloth bag which Lennox assumed contained the whatever-it-was that would bring Optimus back to life. Lennox couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed. It looked so unimpressive – how would that possibly revive Optimus? "I have to get to him _right now._"

"I hope those F-16's got good aim," Epps said out of the blue. Lennox looked at him suspiciously.

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"I told them to hit the orange smoke."

Lennox glanced to his right, where orange smoke was blossoming dangerously close to them. "You mean that orange smoke?"

"It wasn't my best toss, okay?"

"Incoming!" someone yelled.

Lennox fired several shots in rapid succession, then turned to the two teenagers. "You guys stick with me, you understand? You stay on my ass." They nodded. "Go!"

The quartet ran across the sandy battleground. Epps reached cover first, followed by Lennox and Mikaela. Sam was too slow.

"Die!" thundered Megatron as he leapt out from behind a pillar, blasting his gun at Sam. The teen flew up into the air and crashed into the ground. Even as he, Mikaela, and Epps rushed to Sam, Lennox knew the boy couldn't possibly have survived that. He'd seen enough battles to determine at first glance whether an injury was fatal or not. And his heart plummeted at the thought of such a young life being taken away so brutally.

And yet, miracle of miracles, when by all accounts he should be dead, Sam lived. Lennox had seen for himself the absence of a pulse, heard the whine of a flatline...but Sam was alive. And in his hand was a wavy silver object with a glowing blue center. Lennox knew without a doubt that that would bring Optimus back, as surely as it had brought Sam.

Lennox watched breathlessly as Sam climbed on top of Optimus' unmoving form and plunged the object into the Autobot's chest. He watched as the light returned to Optimus' optics, as his spark fused and reignited, as his body healed and returned to functioning levels. And hope rose in him as never before, even with the Decepticons raging war all around them, even with the Fallen preparing to blot out the sun forever.

That hope diminished when the Fallen appeared to snatch the Matrix away before it could completely restore Optimus to his full strength, and then grew again when former Decepticon Jetfire sacrificed himself to give Optimus his parts. And when Lennox saw Optimus Prime fly into the sky to contend the Fallen, he knew all would be well.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Many thanks to my reviewers **Kaprikorn, chloexo, **and **_FlowerCrazy. **I'm really glad you guys are enjoying this collection of one-shots.**___**  
><strong>_


	12. Call for Transport

**Disclaimer: Though this little scene is entirely from my imagination, I still don't own the characters.**

* * *

><p><em>12. Call for Transport<em>

_Genre: Hurt/Comfort  
><em>

_Word Count: 476_

* * *

><p>"Sir?" a soldier asked, timidly interrupting his superior's concentration.<p>

"What is it?"

"Phone call from Major Lennox, sir," the soldier replied, handing him the receiver. Morshower immediately put it to his ear.

"Lennox?"

"_General. Requesting transport back to the States for twenty-four NEST operatives, four civilians, and eight Autobots."_

"Noted. I'll get the _U.S.S. Sierra Nevada _to ship you all back home." Morshower was dying to ask what the hell had happened in Egypt, but he knew he would have to wait until his soldiers were back on U.S. soil. Such communication was best done in person, not over a phone line, however secure it may be.

* * *

><p>The battle was over.<p>

The Egyptians would have a hell of a time cleaning up, and Lennox had no clue how they'd ever cover _this _one up, but at the moment, he didn't really care.

The battle was over, he was alive, and Optimus was alive.

They'd lost two of Arcee's units and several men, but the casualties were minimal.

And Optimus Prime lived.

Lennox was taking a much-deserved break in the shade while waiting for the promised airship carrier to come pick them up and take them home. Epps was right beside him, back to making wisecracks about how they'd pushed Galloway off the plane, to the great amusement of Sam and Mikaela and Skids and Mudflap, the latter of whom were laughing raucously.

Lennox caught sight of Ratchet and Ironhide talking to Optimus outside. The conversation seemed to consist mainly of Ratchet scolding Optimus for his heroics, Ironhide expressing his gladness that Optimus was back, and Optimus thanking the two of them for protecting Earth while he wasn't around.

Lennox made his way over to the three Autobots, feeling he needed to say his piece. "Hey, Optimus."

"Major Lennox," Optimus acknowledged. "Thank you."

Lennox was completely nonplussed. "For what?"

"If you hadn't trusted Sam, I would not be here right now."

Oh, right.

"You're welcome. It was the least I could do, after all the times you've saved this planet from destruction."

"You don't need to fuel his hero complex, Lennox," Ratchet said tartly. "We do not need this happening again."

"It'd better not, Prime," Ironhide said threateningly. "If it does, I'll bring you back so I can offline you myself."

Optimus smiled. "I shall try my best."

Lennox knew the two big Autobots were talking like this because they truly didn't want it happening again. Both of them cared too much for their great leader to lose him again. So did Lennox, as a matter of fact.

"I'm glad you're back, Optimus."

Optimus inclined his head. "Thank you, my friends."

A loud honk attracted their attention. Epps was pressing on Sideswipe's Corvette horn. "Lennox! Our ride's here! Let's go!"

And together, human and Autobot turned to the sea. They were going home.

Until the next adventure.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: It's short, but I think it nicely sums up what should have happened in the film. Thank you to **Darth Krande, chloexo, codythedude, **and **Kaprikorn **for reviewing, and thanks to everyone else who's reading this fic!**_


	13. Friends Come a Calling

**Disclaimer: Leading up to **_Dark of the Moon, _**and I still don't own anything.****  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em>13. Friends Come a Calling<em>

_Genre: Humor, I guess_

_Word Count: 657_

* * *

><p>"Major Lennox!" a tech assistant called, running to catch up with his commander. "Major Lennox!"<p>

Lennox turned and waited for the man to catch up with him. "What is it?"

Panting a little, the tech reported, "We've got a high energon signature earthbound at five klicks per second entering the atmosphere above base."

Lennox snapped to attention at once. "Friendly or hostile?"

"Can't say, sir – we haven't been able to hail it on communications."

Lennox nodded and broke into a run, his cell phone already out. He dialed the number of his connection to the PA system and issued a series of orders.

"_Attention all units. We've got Cybertronians coming in fast and hot over the island. Possibly hostile. Squadron 4, report to the hangar and gear up."_

Lennox terminated the link and made his way to the hangar, seconds before he was joined by Epps and the thirty-man Squadron 4, as well as Optimus, Sideswipe, and Ironhide.

"Will, the incoming vessel is an Autobot ship," Ironhide informed him.

Lennox skidded to a stop halfway through running for his gear. "What?"

"The _Xantium_, to be more precise," Sideswipe added. "I was stationed on it before I was sent out on a scouting mission and received Optimus' message."

"So they're friendlies?" Epps inquired.

"They are," Optimus replied. "I told them to bring the ship onto base, but they must have veered off course."

"Well, let's go welcome them," said Epps.

* * *

><p>The <em>Xantium<em> was a white Cybertronian ship that looked rather like a NASA shuttle. Lennox was delighted when he heard that there were five Autobots onboard, but he was not as pleased when three of these Autobots turned out to be the foul-mouthed, miscreant (albeit bright) group known as the Wreckers.

"These are Leadfoot, Roadbuster, and Topspin," Optimus introduced, while giving them a glare that made all three squirm. "And this is Wheeljack and Mirage."

"Call me Que," Wheeljack said, blinking an optic at the humans in good humor. "Everyone does."

"And I am known as Dino," Mirage added in an Italian accent.

"Que is our head inventor," Sideswipe said, "And Dino's my partner."

"We got your message," Topspin said.

"We would have been here sooner if Leadfoot hadn't busted the engine." Roadbuster glared at his colleague.

"It was an accident!" Leadfoot protested. "You try fixing something at two hundred miles per hour without tools."

"I've done it before," Roadbuster said calmly.

"You have not!"

"I have too."

Leadfoot suddenly leapt at Roadbuster without warning and started pummeling him. "You have not! Liar!"

"Cut it out, Leadfoot!" Topspin exclaimed, trying to pull Leadfoot out. Unfortunately, a punch Roadbuster was aiming at Leadfoot hit Topspin instead, and Topspin kicked Roadbuster in return, igniting a brawling match between all three Wreckers.

"Oh, no," said Sideswipe.

"Good grief, they're worse than the twins," Epps commented.

"ENOUGH!" Ironhide roared, conking all three Wreckers on the head and pulling them apart. "Disgraceful behavior," he said scornfully.

"They're not getting off base like that," Lennox said immediately, concerned about the security problem they could pose if they were allowed on the mainland.

"My sentiments exactly," agreed Optimus, casting fierce optics at the Wreckers, who had the grace to look ashamed. "Leadfoot, Roadbuster, Topspin, until told otherwise you will remain on the island and tend to the _Xantium_."

"Sir, yes, sir," the Wreckers agreed sullenly.

"Dino, you will resume your position as Sideswipe's partner on NEST missions."

Mirage nodded.

"Que..."

"I know, I know." The inventor grinned. "I'll be staying on base experimenting, and help keep an eye on the young ones and come out when you need me to. What else would I be doing?"

"You and Ratchet will make a fine pair," Ironhide chuckled.

And just like that, the five newest additions to NEST were settled into their roles. Lennox could only marvel that the Autobots could function so smoothly with only minutes to do it in.

"So..." Que looked around. "Where's the lab?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: I'm sorry this was so slow in coming, but I warn you here and now: updates will be less frequent, because I'm still getting used to the Dark of the Moon plot, and I need to watch the movie a few more times to get the events and characterization right.**_

_**I'm also in a bit of a hurry at the moment (okay, that's an understatement), so my apologies for not naming each reviewer. I hope it's enough that you know I appreciate you for reviewing!  
><strong>_


	14. House Call

_**A/N: Yes! I'm finally back! I apologize for the long delay in my update (which is something I rarely have to do, because I normally update daily) - but I did warn you I wouldn't be updating this for a while. Anyway, I finally got the third movie, so now I can watch it and finish off the phone call series. Here's something to get you guys started.**_

* * *

><p><em>14. <em>_House Call_

_Genre: Friendship, with a dash of humor_

_Word Count: 635_

* * *

><p>Lennox rubbed sleep from his eyes as he reached for his ringing phone. A quick glance at the caller ID told him who it was.<p>

Stifling a yawn, he flipped his phone open and answered with a, "Yeah, Epps?"

_"Hey, Lennox. Hope I'm not disturbing your beauty sleep or anything."_

Damn. He thought he'd been doing a good job disguising the fact that he'd just woken up.

"No worries, man – I was just taking a nap." He climbed out of bed. "What's up?"

_"You mind if I come over?"_

"Now?" Lennox glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table; it read 4:51.

_"Yeah, now." _Epps' voice had a 'Well, duh!' tone to it.

"Sure, no problem. But you'll have to be quiet – Annabelle's taking a nap."

_"Like father, like daughter," _Epps remarked with a chuckle. _"I'll be there in a few." _The connection cut off.

Fifteen minutes later, there was a soft knock on the door.

"I'll get it, hon – it's probably Epps," Lennox called quietly to Sarah. Reaching the door, he pulled it open and found Epps standing outside. "Hey, man," he greeted, giving him a swift, one-armed hug. "Come on in."

"I heard you got promoted," Epps said, making casual conversation as they sat on the couch. "Again."

Lennox grinned at him. "What can I say? – I've got leadership qualities."

"Colonel, wow," Epps commented with a shake of his head. "Congrats, man."

"Thanks," Lennox replied. "So why are you here? You just decided to drop by?"

"Nah, not really." Epps stretched out on the couch. "You know when we have to redeploy back to Diego Garcia?"

"Next week," Lennox answered, wondering where this was headed.

"Yeah, well – I won't be joining you."

"What?" Lennox stared at his friend. "You're quitting NEST?"

"Yeah," Epps admitted. "Don't get me wrong, it's been fun – but you know, it's just not for me anymore. I mean, Jeanine just had our baby and everything, and I think it'd be nice to settle down and leave the saving-the-world thing to everyone else."

Lennox was silent for a minute. Somehow, he'd always pictured Epps by his side – the two leaders of NEST.

"You figure out what you're gonna do?" he asked presently.

"Yeah…I'm gonna be in charge of the air base on the south end of the island. I've cleared it all with Morshower and the Autobots."

Lennox gave him a hard look, then, without warning, whacked him upside the head.

"Ow!" Epps complained, rubbing his scalp. "What the hell was that for, man?"

"That," Lennox told him, "was for making me think you were leaving completely. If you're still gonna be stationed on base it means you're not really leaving NEST."

Epps couldn't help chuckling. "All right, all right. But don't you put me on the duty roster no more."

"No," Lennox agreed. "You'll be a reserve – and my head advisor."

"Head ad…" Epps glared at him. "Oh, very funny."

Lennox grinned. "You know, if I were you, I'd bail out now and ask Morshower to put you back on the squad."

"Why?" Epps asked suspiciously.

"Well, you said you're gonna be working on the air base."

"Yeah…" Epps said slowly.

"And you know what's on there."

"What?"

"The _Xantium._"

Epps stared at him, trying to understand what he was getting at. "I know that."

"Oh, dear." Lennox shook his head, stifling a laugh; he was enjoying this. "You know what _else_ is on that base?"

"What?" Epps demanded.

"You really don't know?"

"Lennox, if you don't tell me what you're getting at now, so help me God…"

"The Wreckers are confined to the base, remember?" Lennox reminded him. "You'll be babysitting the most troublesome Autobots on Earth."

Epps' eyes widened. "Oh, right." Then he groaned; Lennox laughed.

"You rethinking your decision yet?" he queried.

"Almost, man, almost."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: You can expect regular updates from now on - but not too often - perhaps once a week?**_


	15. Complaint Call

_**A/N: Right, here starts the series of DOTM phone calls. I rewatched the movie yesterday, and I came up with plenty of moments for this fic. As such, it shouldn't be too long till the next update.**_

_**Please note that I do not own Transformers, or the dialogue I have taken from the movie for the purpose of this chapter.**_

* * *

><p><em>15. <em>_Complaint Call_

_Genre: Suspense_

_Word Count: 1,238_

* * *

><p>There was a building in Washington, D.C. that was thought by the local citizens to be the department of Health and Human Services – but it was, in fact, the new headquarters of NEST. Two years after Egypt, the government had given up trying to explain away the increasing rumors about extraterrestrial allies and had finally revealed the truth about the Autobots to the general public. After all the hubbub from that announcement had died down, a decision was made to move NEST's main base from Diego Garcia to Washington, D.C. Though the move had taken months to complete – especially considering that missions still had to be organized and carried out – NEST had been operating from their new base for over two months now.<p>

Lennox was mulling over their most recent mission in Chernobyl as he made his way to the debriefing, when his phone rang.

"This is Lennox."

_"Colonel Lennox, this is Charlotte Mearing."_

Lennox snapped to attention immediately. "Director Mearing," he acknowledged. "What can I do for you?"

_"What you can do is tell me what the hell you were thinking raiding that nuclear test site in the Middle East." _The intelligence director's voice was scathing, boiling over with suppressed fury. Lennox, however, pretended to be lost.

"I'm sorry?" he asked.

_"Don't bother playing coy with me, Colonel. Your so-called Autobot unit was all over it."_

"Ma'am director, I really have no idea what you're talking about," Lennox protested.

There was a short pause on the other end, then Mearing said, _"Fine then. If you want to play it that way. But I'm coming to talk to you personally about this – and the op in Ukraine."_

Then she hung up, leaving Lennox to anticipate (or not) her visit.

* * *

><p>When Mearing arrived at NEST HQ half an hour later, Lennox was prepared to deny anything she threw at him about the Middle East op. Truth was, he knew exactly what was going on, but he wasn't supposed to be aware of it in an 'official' capacity. The Autobots had got wind of the fact that someone had somehow managed to procure the schematics for certain Cybertronian technology, and was attempting to build prototypes on a test site in the Middle East. Lennox had promised to get authorization for an op to retrieve the blueprints, but Que wasn't too keen on waiting that long. The old inventor had persuaded Bumblebee, Dino, and Sideswipe to carry out an off the radar mission to get the schematics back without approval from JCS. Lennox had just about had a fit when he found about it; but it didn't make a difference – the deed was done, and now he had to clean up the mess.<p>

"The CIA is up my ass about this mystery raid in the Middle East," Mearing said as she strode through the building as if she owned it. "So it's time to come clean – was the unit involved?"

"Uh…I'm not sure, ma'am," Lennox lied.

Mearing wasn't buying it. "As director of national intelligence, I'm a really big fan of intelligent answers," she said pointedly.

"I…I can't really tell you definitively," Lennox said, still playing up his part. "These Autobots are like teenage kids – they like to sneak out of the house once in a while."

"Colonel Lennox, are you in command or are you not?"Mearing demanded, stopping mid-walk to stare him down.

"Yes, ma'am, I am…"

"Stop with the ma'am – enough with the ma'am. Do I look like a ma'am?" Mearing asked quickly, effectively distracting Lennox.

"No, ma'am…yes, ma'am, yes," Lennox answered, flustered, as he followed Mearing to where Optimus was parked (in the back of his mind, he wondered just how Mearing had ended up leading _him _when it was supposed to be the other way round, here in NEST HQ).

"Oh, good, they're here," Que said with some relief as Lennox and Mearing walked towards the Autobots. "My name's Que," he introduced himself to Mearing. "I do hope you have some answers for him. I've never seen him so upset." He gestured to the red-and-blue semi across the room, whom Lennox proceeded to speak to.

"Optimus, do you remember Charlotte Mearing, our Director of National Intelligence?" He should; Mearing had been working in association with NEST since before the relocation.

However, Optimus did not answer.

"He's in a bad mood," Dino explained in response to Lennox's puzzled expression. "He's not wanting to talk to anybody today."

Mearing was less than impressed. "What is this? The silent treatment?"

"We've seen that, and this is not that," Ironhide disagreed. "This is worse." He tramped over to the unmoving truck and banged it on the hood. "Prime, make something of yourself." As the flamed semi began moving and transforming in sharp, swift movements, Ironhide added, "He's pissed." The black Autobot exchanged a glance with Lennox, who braced himself for the Prime's fury.

Sure enough, the moment Optimus had transformed fully into his bipedal form, he sprang forward and crouched down intimidatingly, his hard gaze trained straight on Mearing.

"You lied to us," he accused. "Everything humans know of our planet we were told had all been shared. So why was this found in human possession?" He pointed at the Cybertronian engine part they had taken from Chernobyl.

"We were in the dark on this also," Mearing replied. "It was director-only clearance at Sector 7, until now." She looked at her assistant and imperiously commanded, "The bag."

The beleaguered assistant, after several moments of bewildered fumbling, finally managed to locate the appropriate bag and handed it to Mearing.

"This is a secret few men know," Mearing told Optimus as she took out a file. "And fewer still remain alive. Allow me to introduce to you two of NASA's founding mission directors and astronaut Dr. Buzz Aldrin, one of the first two men to step foot on the moon." This last was said as a posse of men in suits entered the room. "Sir," Mearing greeted as she shook hands with Aldrin. "Optimus Prime."

Aldrin looked up respectfully at the Autobot leader. "From a fellow space traveler, it's a true honor," he said sincerely.

"The honor is mine," Optimus said, bending lower to Aldrin's level.

"Our entire space race of the 1960's, it appears, was in response to an event," Mearing spoke up from beside the computers on the platform, beginning the briefing. She and the NASA members then proceeded to describe the true purpose of the mission on the moon in 1969 – to investigate an alien ship that had crashed there in 1961.

"Where did you search the crash hold?" Ironhide questioned intently.

When no one answered, Optimus elaborated, "The ship's name was the _Ark_. I watched it escape Cybertron myself. It was carrying an Autobot technology which would have won us the war – and its captain."

"Who was this captain?" Mearing asked.

"The great Sentinel Prime," Optimus answered, resting his hand on the railing of the platform Mearing was standing on. "The technology's inventor. He was commander of the Autobots before me. It's imperative that I find it before the Decepticons learn of its location. Our Autobot spacecraft has the ability to get there, and you must pray it's in time."

His serious tone gave Lennox his first clue as to how big this thing really was, and the human commander blew out his breath in a puff.

He had the feeling this was going to be another world-threatening journey.


	16. A Call Full of Crazy

_**A/N: Here's another DOTM phone call. Told you updates would be more frequent now. I still don't own Transformers, though.**_

* * *

><p><em>16. <em>_A Call Full of Crazy_

_Genre: Action/Drama_

_Word Count: 774_

* * *

><p>There were times when Lennox wished he wasn't the person in charge of NEST. Being the commander was taxing, both mentally and physically – and sometimes emotionally. Right now, he was honestly wishing he could dump this new problem on someone else. It was also times like these that made him wish Epps hadn't resigned and was still with him to help run the organization.<p>

The reason for his feeling this way this time was a phone call – a rather muddled phone call. Over his phone, he was hearing all sorts of voices and noises. The guards at the entrance to the compound had called him the minute someone came up to them and demanded to get into NEST, speaking about Decepticons. At first Lennox was concerned about the security breach, but as he listened closely, he found that he had a bigger problem.

_"Easy, sir – this is Health and Human Services," _said the voice of one of the guards.

_"Oh, yeah, packing M-4's?" _another familiar voice demanded. _"What are you protecting in there – colostomy bags, bedpans, throat lozenges? Where'd you get that hat from – nursing school? Yeah, so you're nurses and foot powder protection – fantastic."_

_"Sam, I don't think we're in the right place," _a gentle female tone intruded.

_"We're in the right place – we are in the right place and I'm gonna talk to Optimus - you gotta get Optimus out right now."_

_"Sir, I'm sure you're in the wrong building - I don't know what you're talking about."_

_"What part of 'Decepticons are back' do you not understand?"_

_"Yo! You being a smartass?"_

_"_Do not _hit my car – it's a collector's item!"_

By this time Lennox was running full speed to the entrance, and the myriad of noises after that only made him run faster. There was the sound of a car accelerating, tires screeching, someone screaming as a metallic crash reverberated over the phone, and rapid beeping.

_"We've got an energon reading – got aliens in the vehicle!"_

More shrieks and yells followed, punctuated by a frustrated _"Why? WHY?" _ from the person in the car.

_Good Lord, _Lennox thought in consternation. His phone was still at his ear, so he heard the continuing drama that was unfolding outside.

_"Freeze!"_

_ "Whoa, whoa, whoa! We're freezing!"_

Judging from the sounds, the argument was escalating into a full-blown wrestling match. Then a hysterical voice crackled over the P.A system connected to the guards' walkie-talkies.

_"BEE! IS BEE IN THERE?"_

Lennox had heard enough. "Donnelly, let him in," he said to the guard who had called. "I'll take him."

A few minutes later, Lennox walked to the entrance to find an irritated Sam being scanned by the guards – he happened to be setting off a lot of alarms.

"Those are my brass knuckles…that's my anklet – do I have to take that off, too?" Sam asked sarcastically. "And my toe rings?"

"He's all right," Lennox told the guards, who reluctantly backed off after throwing dirty looks at Sam.

"Yeah, that's right, not so tough now with your commander here, huh?" Sam needled.

"Sam," Lennox said, with a note of warning.

"Lennox, you've gotta let me talk to Optimus – the Decepticons are back, they're coming…"

"What do you know?" Lennox asked as he led Sam and Carly along the corridors.

"This morning a guy recognized me," Sam replied, handing Lennox the stack of notes Wang had given him. "He told me to warn you – he was talking about the dark side of the moon. Then they killed him."

Lennox barely heard him – he was trying to figure out whether it would be worth crossing Director Mearing and letting Sam know what NEST knew; the words that caught his attention were 'dark side of the moon' – the same place they'd found Sentinel and the Ark. This could not be a coincidence.

"Wait a minute – you mentioned the moon?"

"Yeah, dark side of the moon," Sam affirmed.

"But why would the Decepticons want to kill humans?" Carly asked. "I thought their war was with the Autobots."

It was then that Lennox decided to tell them. Sam and Carly might not have clearance, and Mearing would probably stick him in the deep fryer for sharing classified information with them, but Lennox didn't really care about that. Sam had been in this since the beginning; he was the first human involved in the whole Cybertronian issue – and he had proved himself a valuable ally more than once in the years since the Autobots arrived. Lennox now considered him as much a part of NEST as any other soldier.

"No, it's more than that now," he answered Carly. "Come on, I'll brief you."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Reviews are, as always, much appreciated ;)_**


	17. Calling Up Loss

_**A/N: No reviews for the last chapter, but I'm hoping I get some for this. Be warned: May be dangerously tear-jerking and heart-breaking.**_

_**Note: I don't own Transformers.  
><strong>_

* * *

><p><em>17. <em>_Calling Up Loss_

_Genre: Tragedy_

_Word Count: 1,111_

* * *

><p>Lennox listened with increasing dismay as Mearing rapidly informed him over the phone of what Sam had told her – the Decepticons' real plan had been to have Optimus revive Sentinel all along. Now they were coming for the former Autobot leader to complete their scheme.<p>

Grabbing a PA microphone, he barked orders into it.

"All NEST units, high alert. We've got an Omega-level threat. Mobilize and initiate Defense Protocol 117-D."

Then he went off to find the nearest Autobots – who just happened to be Skids and Mudflap. The Youngling twins had been on probation for the last two months after an outlandish prank that the other Autobots found highly distasteful. Lennox had never seen Optimus so angry before. The two pranksters had been stripped of their privileges and what little clearance they had until they proved themselves worthy enough to join NEST operations again.

"Yo, Lennox!" called Skids. "What's up?"

"Yeah, what's with the threat alert?" Mudflap added.

Lennox didn't even waste time replying; he simply rushed past them to find the next Autobot.

"Well, if that don't slag all," Skids said indignantly.

"That's just rude," Mudflap agreed.

Within seconds, Lennox had caught sight of none other than his family guardian. "Ironhide! Where's Sentinel?"

"He's in the city with Optimus," the weapons specialist replied. "What's going on?"

"Sam just called Mearing. The Decepticons are coming for Sentinel and the pillars. You gotta get out there now."

"Frag," Ironhide swore. "Sideswipe!" he called to the warrior. "We're needed! Move out."

The next minute, both he and Sideswipe had folded themselves into their vehicular alt modes. Lennox heard Ironhide contacting Optimus as they sped away. Lennox himself then ran ahead to take charge of his squad.

The shit was about to hit the fan.

* * *

><p>"Lennox!" Burke called. "We've got Autobots approaching the gate. Bumblebee's one of them."<p>

Lennox immediately took off for the entrance, even as his mind whirred. If Bumblebee was here, it meant Sam was too.

Sure enough, just as he reached the gate, he saw the cars that were Dino, Bumblebee, Sentinel, Sideswipe, and Ironhide. Lennox waved them in.

"Inside, let's go!"

The second Bumblebee screeched to a halt, Sam jumped out of the car.

"Lennox!" he said. "We've got Decepticons everywhere."

"I've got my whole team deployed looking for them," Lennox assured him. "Ironhide!" The black Topkick transformed into his full Autobot mode. "Protect Sentinel – get him locked up inside." Lennox had no idea how much and how soon he was going to regret that decision.

"Consider it done," Ironhide agreed.

"You gotta guard him, 'cause he's the key to the whole thing," Sam said.

"Indeed I am," Sentinel agreed as he turned to face them, a sudden dark note entering his voice. Lennox was abruptly struck by a deep sense of foreboding.

"What you must realize, my Autobot brothers, is that we were never going to win the war," Sentinel continued. "For the sake of our planet's survival, a deal had to be made…with Megatron."

Then, before anyone could even react, Sentinel swung around and callously blasted Ironhide square in the chest – twice. The dam on his emotions that Lennox usually kept in place when he was on duty burst open, spilling over his feelings of shock, horror, rage, fear, and dread. His guardian's pained cry hammered at his own heart.

At that moment, Lennox wanted nothing more than to run to his friend's side and get him the medical attention he needed in the hope that he would be all right. But Lennox's first duty was to Sam and the humans at NEST – and no matter how much he might deny it, he knew Ironhide was going to die. So it was with a heavy heart and a guilty conscience that Lennox gave the order to retreat.

"Get back!" he warned, ignoring the stabs of anguish that pierced at him as he backed away from Sentinel and the dying Ironhide. Never had he thought that those two simple words would hurt so much.

The pain he felt was only intensified as Ironhide, being the warrior he was, struggled to get up, even though he was mortally wounded. The black Autobot crawled on the ground, energon leaking out of his circuits.

"What have you done?" he gasped.

Sentinel stood over him, staring down at him with cold-hearted cruelness in his optics. "I hereby discharge you from duty," he said, without even a hint of remorse. And suddenly Lennox knew what he was going to do next.

"No!" he cried – but it was too late; Sentinel had already delivered the killshot straight into Ironhide's Spark chamber. Lennox felt like his own heart had been ripped in two.

The backlash from the shot was explosive, causing men and Autobots to fly. Bumblebee crashed onto the ground; then got up and started shooting at Sentinel.

"Bee!" Sam shouted.

"Get back!" Lennox yelled, restraining the young man with only a half-hearted effort. Whatever small hope he might have had that Ironhide could be saved had now vanished; his guardian was truly, really doomed – if he wasn't dead already, he would be in mere minutes.

Sentinel fired at the gathered NEST operatives, and Lennox snapped back to himself. He could grieve later. He yanked Sam behind a truck to shelter him from the flying projectiles and cannon blasts Sentinel was exchanging with Bumblebee. The traitor Prime seemed hell-bent on destroying the entire headquarters.

After a quick, military assessment, Lennox ordered a soldier next to him, "Get all the NEST forces back to the base!" The man nodded and rushed off. Then Lennox pulled Sam in the direction of the building – it would be safer for them there. "Come on, move!"

Across the compound, Sentinel shot a few more rounds before transforming into his alt mode and driving down the road.

"Get in!" Lennox said, pushing Sam into the building. Lennox was ready to follow and assume his command, masking his grief behind the face of the leader he was; but he couldn't go without looking at his friend one last time.

He spared a final glance at Ironhide, who was rapidly disintegrating into rust, and felt a new wave of hot anger. It wasn't enough for Sentinel to kill him – no, he had to completely and utterly destroy his body too.

As the last of his frame crumbled away, Ironhide turned his desiccated head towards Lennox. The anger gave way to sorrow. His eyes prickling with unshed tears, Lennox bade a final goodbye to his guardian, his friend, his brother.

And as he ducked into the building, he swore he saw the black mech's optics flicker once in recognition, then go dark forever.


End file.
